Panama Surprised by Higher Canal Traffic Amid Trump’s Trade Wars

The Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal in Panama City. — The Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal in Panama City.Photographer: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

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By Michael D McDonald

March 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC

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The Panama Canal is reporting an unexpected jump in revenue, confounding its own forecasts that Donald Trump’s trade wars would cause traffic to drop.